Questions From Past year Papers

Q1 Two players are playing table tennis. Player A hits the ball at a height
of 0.24m above the edge of the table, measured from the top of the table
to the bottom of the ball. The initial speed of the ball is 12.0ms-1
horizontally. Assume that air resistance is negligible.

(a) Show that the time taken for the ball to reach the surface of the
table is about 0.2s. [1]
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(b) Sketch, on the axes, a graph showing the variation with time of the
vertical component of velocity vv of the ball until it reaches the
table surface. Take g to be +10ms-2. [2]
(c) (Question 1 continued) (c) The net is stretched across the middle
of the table. The table has a length of 2.74m and the net has a
height of 15.0cm. Show that the ball will go over the net. [3]
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(d) The ball bounces and then reaches a peak height of 0.18m
above the table with a horizontal speed of 10.5ms-1. The mass of
the ball is 2.7g.
(i) Determine the kinetic energy of the ball immediately after the
bounce. [2]
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(ii) Player B intercepts the ball when it is at its peak height. Player
B holds a paddle (racket) stationary and vertical. The ball is in
contact with the paddle for 0.010s. Assume the collision is elastic.
Calculate the average force exerted by the ball on the paddle.
State your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.
[3]
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Q2 A football player kicks a stationary ball of mass 0.45kg towards

a wall. The initial speed of the ball after the kick is 19ms-1 and the
ball does not rotate. Air resistance is negligible and there is no
wind.

(a) The player’s foot is in contact with the ball for 55ms. Calculate
the average force that acts on the ball due to the football player.
[2]
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(b) (i) The ball leaves the ground at an angle of 22°. The
horizontal distance from the initial position of the edge of the
ball to the wall is 11m. Calculate the time taken for the ball to
reach the wall. [2]
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(Question 1 continued) (ii) The top of the wall is 2.4m above the
ground. Deduce whether the ball will hit the wall. [3]
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(c) In practice, air resistance affects the ball. Outline the effect
that air resistance has on the vertical acceleration of the ball.
Take the direction of the acceleration due to gravity to be
positive. [2]
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Q3. A ball of mass 0.250kg is released from rest at time t = 0,

from a height H above a horizontal floor.
The graph shows the variation with time t of the velocity v of the
ball. Air resistance is negligible. Take g = -9.80ms-2. The ball
reaches the floor after 1.0s.

(a) Determine H. [1]

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(b) (i) Label the time and velocity graph, using the letter M,
the point where the ball reaches the maximum rebound
height. [1]
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(ii) State the acceleration of the ball at the maximum rebound
height. [1]
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(iii) Draw, on the axes, a graph to show the variation with
time of the height of the ball from the instant it rebounds from
the floor until the instant it reaches the maximum rebound
height. No numbers are required on the axes. [1]

(c) Estimate the loss in the mechanical energy of the ball as a result of
the collision with the floor.

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(d) (i) Determine the average force exerted on the floor by the ball. [3]

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(ii) Suggest why the momentum of the ball was not conserved during the
collision with the floor. [1]

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4. A company delivers packages to customers using a small unmanned

aircraft. Rotating horizontal blades exert a force on the surrounding air.
The air above the aircraft is initially stationary.

The air is propelled vertically downwards with speed v. The aircraft

hovers motionless above the ground. A package is suspended from the
aircraft on a string. The mass of the aircraft is 0.95kg and the combined
mass of the package and string is 0.45kg. The mass of air pushed
downwards by the blades in one second is 1.7kg.
(a) (i) State the value of the resultant force on the aircraft when
hovering. [1]
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(ii) Outline, by reference to Newton’s third law, how the upward lift
force on the aircraft is achieved. [2]
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(iii) Determine ν. State your answer to an appropriate number of

significant figures. [3]
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(iv) Calculate the power transferred to the air by the aircraft. [2]
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(b) The package and string are now released and fall to the
ground. The lift force on the aircraft remains unchanged. Calculate
the initial acceleration of the aircraft. [2]
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5. The graph shows the variation with time t of the horizontal force
F exerted on a tennis ball by a racket.

The tennis ball was stationary at the instant when it was hit. The
mass of the tennis ball is 5.8 × 10–2 kg. The area under the curve
is 0.84Ns.
(a) Calculate the speed of the ball as it leaves the racket. [2]
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(b) Show that the average force exerted on the ball by the
racket is about 50N. [2]
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(c) Determine, with reference to the work done by the average

force, the horizontal distance travelled by the ball while it was in
contact with the racket. [3]
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(d) Draw a graph to show the variation with t of the horizontal

speed v of the ball while it was in contact with the racket.
Numbers are not required on the axes. [2]

6. A student strikes a tennis ball that is initially at rest so that it

leaves the racquet at a speed of 64ms–1. The ball has a mass
of 0.058kg and the contact between the ball and the racquet
lasts for 25ms.
(a) Calculate the
(i) average force exerted by the racquet on the ball. [2]
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(ii) average power delivered to the ball during the impact. [2]
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(b) The student strikes the tennis ball at point P. The tennis ball
is initially directed at an angle of 7.00° to the horizontal.
Calculate the time it takes the tennis ball to reach the net. [2]
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ii) Show that the tennis ball passes over the net. [3]
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iii) Determine the speed of the tennis ball as it strikes the ground. [2]
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(b) The student models the bounce of the tennis ball to predict the
angle θ at which the ball leaves a surface of clay and a surface
of grass.

The model assumes

• during contact with the surface the ball slides.
• the sliding time is the same for both surfaces.
• the sliding frictional force is greater for clay than grass.
• the normal reaction force is the same for both surfaces.
Predict for the student’s model, without calculation, whether θ
is greater for a clay surface or for a grass surface. [3]
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7. Ion-thrust engines can power spacecraft. In this type of engine, ions

are created in a chamber and expelled from the spacecraft. The
spacecraft is in outer space when the propulsion system is turned on.
The spacecraft starts from rest.

The mass of ions ejected each second is 6.6 × 10–6 kg and the speed of
each ion is 5.2 × 104 m s–1 . The initial total mass of the spacecraft and
its fuel is 740 kg. Assume that the ions travel away from the spacecraft
parallel to its direction of motion.

(a) Determine the initial acceleration of the spacecraft. [2]

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(b) An initial mass of 60 kg of fuel is in the spacecraft for a journey to

a planet. Half of the fuel will be required to slow down the spacecraft
before arrival at the destination planet.
(i) Estimate the maximum speed of the spacecraft. [2]
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(ii) Outline why the answer to (b)(i) is an estimate. [1]
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(iii) Outline why scientists sometimes use estimates in making

calculations. [1]

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(b) In practice, the ions leave the spacecraft at a range of angles as

shown.

(i) Outline why the ions are likely to spread out. [2]

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(ii) Explain what effect, if any, this spreading of the ions has on the
acceleration of the spacecraft. [2]
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8. An elastic climbing rope is tested by fixing one end of the rope to

the top of a crane. The other end of the rope is connected to a block
which is initially at position A. The block is released from rest. The
mass of the rope is negligible.

The unextended length of the rope is 60.0m. From position A to

position B, the block falls freely.
(a) At position B the rope starts to extend. Calculate the speed of
the block at position B. [2]
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(b) At position C the speed of the block reaches zero. The time
taken for the block to fall between B and C is 0.759s. The mass
of the block is 80.0kg. (i) Determine the magnitude of the
average resultant force acting on the block between B and C. [2]

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(ii) Sketch on the diagram the average resultant force acting on the block
between B and C. The arrow on the diagram represents the weight of
the block. [2]

(iii) Calculate the magnitude of the average force exerted by the rope on
the block between B and C. [2]
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(b) For the rope and block, describe the energy changes that take
place (i) between A and B. [1]
(ii) between B and C. [1]

(c) The length reached by the rope at C is 77.4m. Suggest how

energy considerations could be used to determine the elastic
constant of the rope. [2]
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(e) In another test, the block hangs in equilibrium at the end of

the same elastic rope. The elastic constant of the rope is
400Nm-1 . The block is pulled 3.50m vertically below the
equilibrium position and is then released from rest. (i) Calculate
the time taken for the block to return to the equilibrium position
for the first time. [2]
(ii) Calculate the speed of the block as it passes the equilibrium
position. [2]